


Forgotten Companion

by TallyAce



Series: Forgotten [3]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: But before Chapter 3, Gen, LU Forgotten AU, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Set after Chapter 2 of Forgotten Promises, Wild traveled with the group before the calamity and then had to go back AU, aka the
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21983059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TallyAce/pseuds/TallyAce
Summary: Twilight wasn't sure what to expect when he stepped through that portal, separating from the others while they restlessly slept in Legend's house.But he certainly wasn't expecting to be thrown into an unknown Hyrule, tasked with taking care of a very feral and very confused Wild.(Side story to Forgotten Promises, happens at the same 'time' that the main story does)
Series: Forgotten [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582441
Comments: 49
Kudos: 598





	Forgotten Companion

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read Forgotten Promises and you want to read this fic, I won't stop you! Some things referenced earlier on might be confusing, but I'm sure you'll still enjoy the story <3 
> 
> This fic takes place simultaneously with Forgotten Promises, happening in the span of time between when Twilight left in Chapter 2 and when the group landed in Wild's Hyrule in Chapter 3. It's just meant to flush out some more with the characters in the story, and you don't have to read this to understand anything in Forgotten Promises moving forward. 
> 
> It's my late holiday gift to all of you <3 Enjoy!

Goddesses above, his head hurt. 

Twilight groaned, pushing him onto his knees as he clutched his head in his arms. Fuzzy shapes and lights danced across his vision, temporarily blinding him to the unknown land. The loud ringing in his ears slowly faded away, replaced by the ambient chirps and creaks of the dense forest surrounding him. 

He felt something squirm against his knee, and he cracked open his eyes just enough to see a small lizard staring back at him. Twilight shifted and the reptile darted away, disappearing into the shrubbery covering the forest floor. 

He squinted, looking up at the sky through the hole torn into the forest canopy by Twilight’s sudden arrival. The sky was dark, dotted with faded stars and wispy clouds. He tried to concentrate on the stars in an attempt to search for familiar constellations. Until he groaned, flopping over on his back to throw an arm over his eyes. It was no use, the fuzzy disorientation weighted down his thoughts, as if he were trying to function while still half-asleep.

Perhaps because he was still half-asleep. 

He had been unable to get a full night’s rest for nearly two weeks thanks to his ‘visions’ as Time put it. And with the weight of his departure heavy on everyone’s hearts, Twilight had been unable to even catch a wink of sleep before he felt the tug of a gate. 

Little had he known when stepping through the portal that he’d be dropped into a different land about twenty feet above the ground. 

Twilight sighed, rubbing the back of his hand against his eyes. His conversation with Time was still heavy on his heart, the fear that Time tried to hard to keep within himself during it all showing through for brief moments. He had never seen Time look so… Lost before. 

Twilight felt his heart pang as he remembered the others. Wind and Hyrule had been encouraging and optimistic with him, but Twilight had noticed the way they clung closer to him throughout the night, sleeping nearer to him than normal. Twilight’s bag felt heavy against his hip, the un-noticeable weight of the extra potions Warriors had snuck in there pulling Twilight’s heart and mind down. 

His sword was sharper after it had been stolen away from him by Four, slipped back into its sheath as Four tried to hide the whetstone in his pocket. Sky and Time had tried to lighten the mood as they settled down for bed, telling stories of love and family. 

Which meant that Sky gushed about Zelda and Time added on with his own stories of Malon. But it was nice, it had helped for sure. 

But Legend’s reaction hurt the most. 

Twilight had expected for Legend to snap at him, to get angry and yell. He knew Legend tried to hide his emotions, he shoved them under a thin shell of false anger and bitterness. He had lashed out at them all after Wild had left, before breaking down in Hyrule’s arms a month later. 

But he had been silent, detached even. He wouldn’t look at Twilight, wouldn’t even talk to him. He just sat right next to him, pressed against Twilight's side as he silently listened to Sky and Time ramble. 

He had leaned over to Twilight, whispering a single sentence before walking to his bed, turning away from the other heroes attempting to sleep and not speaking another word. 

“Don’t disappear on me.” 

Twilight snorted, he would certainly try not to. 

With a huff, Twilight pushed himself to his feet, quickly regretting it as he lurched forward. He blindly reached out a hand, leaning against the trunk of a tree as his vision blurred, slowly coming into focus. His heart pounded in his chest, and he struggled to steady his breathing. His vision returned, and he shook his head, feeling his ears pop and the sounds of the forest truly enter his hearing. 

The melodic tweets of birds echoed through the night air, accompanied by the low croak of a nearby frog and the occasional cry of an owl. The steady chirps of crickets filled the remaining silence of the night, the gentle noise seemingly coming from all directions. 

Twilight glanced down to his leg, watching in confusion as a large beetle slowly crawled its way up to his knee. The patterns on his shell were odd, and it was much larger than any beetles Twilight had ever seen in his Hyrule. 

...Wait. 

The bird song was as beautiful as it was foreign, not quite matching anything he had heard in his home. The lizard from before was another peculiarity, the bright blue of its skin unlike anything from his Hyrule. Even the air felt different, the calm nothingness of the forest interlaced with a deep and terrifying dread. 

It was a silent dread he had felt once before, practically choking on it in the Twilight Realm when it was still under Zant’s reign. He knew it well enough to know exactly what it meant. 

The air held a fear of death, a fear etched into the very foundation of the world itself. 

Twilight kicked his leg slightly, watching as the beetle quickly flew away and into the underbrush. Twilight stepped back, eyeing the strange mushroom between his feet, it’s green cap nearly blending into the grass. He poked it, watching the fungi wobble under his touch with a frown. His face was nowhere near the mushroom, and yet the strange minty odor still reached his nose. It was like a cup of hot tea on a cold day, an oddly invigorating scent. 

Yeah, he definitely hadn’t seen anything like that before. 

He groaned, just his luck. He wasn’t in his Hyrule. But if he wasn’t home, then where exactly was he? 

Well, he supposed the only way to figure that out would be to look around. 

Twilight took a deep breath, reaching a hand under his shirt collar. The tips of his fingers brushed against a cold weight, and he instinctively wrapped his hand around the crystal. Its shape was comforting in his palm, humming against his skin with the ever present feeling of magic. 

With a quick squeeze of his fist, the jagged edges of the shadow crystal pierced his skin. He instantly knew the moment his blood made contact with the magic, doubling over on the ground as the magic quickly enveloped his very being. It tore through his skin and bones, bending and twisting him into a familiar form. 

He remembered when it used to terrify him, the forceful warping of his form into that of a beast's. But now it brought him comfort, a form he could rely on when needed. 

He shook his head, relishing the way the gentle breeze blew through his fur. The leaves crunched under his paws as he slowly paced the rather small clearing he had landed in. His ears twitched at the heightened sounds of the night, and the chirping of the crickets was nearly enough to drive him mad. 

With a huff he turned his attention to the scents of the forest, not surprised when nothing smelled even remotely familiar. He shook his head, turning towards a random direction and heading deeper into the forest. 

He wasn’t a fan of wandering around without a map like Hyrule so often liked to do, but he really had no other choice. 

Slowly, Twilight began weaving a path through the unfamiliar forest, ducking between fallen trees and wild bushes. The land seemed untouched by man, allowed to truly run wild and free. It reminded him of the Faron Woods, a forbidden place absolutely overrun by nature. 

It was beautiful. 

The trees were allowed to grow and rot on their own accord, not forced to live or die based on a person’s whims. Twilight cautiously stepped over a bunch of thick vines hanging off a large tree at his side. A squirrel peeked its head over the edge of a branch above Twilight, but quickly hid away once the wolf actually made eye-contact. 

Twilight snorted, noticing the other animals steering clear of him. The boars would tense as he drew nearer, making it look as though they were going to charge him, but they quickly chickened out and ran away after a single growl. The only animals brave enough to venture near the wolf were the lizards, who darted between his paws or stuck to trunks as he passed by, staring at him until he left their line of sight. 

Creepy. 

Twilight had wandered deeper into the woods, and it took him a moment to realize that he was alone. There were no squirrels spying on him from above, no boars trying to look tough, and no lizards creeping him out with their unblinking states. His ear twitched, picking up the faintest noise in the night. 

He crept towards the sound, the eerie silence not sitting well with him. Cautiously, he sniffed the air, nearly gagging afterwards. It smelled like an unkempt pig-pen, sweat and blood assaulting Twilight’s senses. He shook his head, peering out from the small cover of a bush to stare into the awful smelling clearing. 

Well, he wasn’t too far off in guessing a pig-pen. 

A strange, pig-like creature snorted in front of him, sprawled out on it back with arms and legs outstretched. It’s snout was covered in dried blood, just like it’s clawed hands. Twilight glanced around the sleeping creature, spotting a few more passed out a short distance away. A few had crude clubs and shield loosely held in their sleeping hands, but most were weapon-less. 

Twilight’s heart jumped as he looked up, noticing one of the creatures was wide awake, standing on a tower of some sorts and staring straight at him. He froze, not daring to move. The creature held a bow in his hands, nocked with an arrow, and Twilight really didn’t feel like pulling an arrow from his shoulder. 

But the creature just stared at him, blinking before shaking its head and looking away. Twilight sighed in relief, and took the opportunity to slowly creep back into the forest, leaving the pig creatures to their rest. 

Twilight huffed, shaking his head as he went back to wandering the forest. He was getting tired of staring at nothing but trees and rocks, but he wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for anyway. But he was tired, and that certainly wasn’t helping his exploration in the slightest. 

Twilight yawned, shutting his eyes for a moment of tranquility before snagging his paw on an upturned root. He winced, crashing into the forest floor. 

Great, now he was covered in dirt and he was lost. 

He stood with a groan, shaking his head to try and clear his vision. Twilight froze, a soft crackle of fire slowly coming to life a hundred or so feet ahead of him. A man sat by the fire, prodding at it with a stick before tossing the stick to the side. 

The man had a small camp, just a fallen log, campfire, and pot. Twilight had nearly walked completely past it, much to his own surprise. He hadn’t smelt anything abnormal in the area, certainly not another person. 

Twilight huffed, creeping back into the cover of the bushes. He took a deep breath, focusing his mind on the small crystal in his head. The magic spread slowly, worming its way down his neck before flaring to life, enveloping him in an instant. His limbs bent back into place with soft pops, and he felt the fur lower down into his skin. He pushed himself off the ground with a groan, stretching his arms above his head. 

There was no use scaring the man away. And besides, a conversation is much harder to hold when one contributor is a wolf.

He made no effort to hide his footsteps, calmly walking toward the campsite unarmed. Twilight cleared his throat when he had reached the crumbling stone archway, and the man turned to him in surprise. 

“Why, it’s certainly a surprise to see someone else around these parts!” The man chuckled, lowering himself down to sit on the felled log. He spoke in an accent Twilight was unfamiliar with, but it didn’t surprise him in the slightest. “What brings you to a place like this?” 

Twilight cautiously eyed the man up and down. He certainly didn’t look to be threatening, aside from his quite large stature, of course. The corners of his eyes were wrinkled, and he held a smile full of warmth. So Twilight sighed, leaning up against the decimated wall. 

“I’m not sure exactly why I’m here, but I was hoping you’d be able to tell me exactly where ‘here’ is.” 

The man frowned slightly, “Why, you’re on the Great Plateau.” He laughed, but his face was plagued by a confused expression. “May I ask where exactly you came from before finding yourself in my company?” 

Twilight rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find the right way to answer. “Ah, I’m actually not quite sure how I got here. I split-off from my traveling companions a short while ago, and I woke up here in the middle of a forest. ” 

The man’s frown deepened, before quickly being replaced by a false smile. “Oh, I thought you to be someone else for a moment there!” He tapped his bearded chin in thought. “I’m not sure how you could’ve wound up here of all places, it’s not the type of place people just happen to stumble into.” 

“And why is that?” 

“Well, the plateau is isolated five-hundred feet above the land below.” 

“...Oh.” 

Why in Ordona’s name did he end up here?

The man was silent, seemingly watching Twilight as he racked his brain to try and figure out where he was. No one had ever mentioned anything about a ‘Great Plateau’ before, leaving him with no leads on what Hyrule he could possibly be in. 

He did know for certain that it wasn’t his though, so that was a start. 

The man finally sighed. “Y’know, I’ve got some spare room by the fire. Why don’t you join me?” He patted a spot on the log right next to him. “And I can make a pretty mean spicy meat and seafood fry, if you’re interested, of course.”

Twilight couldn’t find it in his stomach to say no. 

* * *

“So, you never did tell me what you were doing up here.”

Rhoam laughed, wiping the sweat from his brow as he set the large axe to rest beside him. “What brought this up all of a sudden?”

Twilight shrugged, pulling the knotted rope even tighter. The logs bound together creaked and moaned under the stress, but held strong. “Just curious.”

“I’m waiting on someone.” Rhoam dusted off his hands kicking a stray log back into the growing pile. 

“A friend?” 

Rhoam sighed, wistfully gazing into the distance. Twilight tried to follow his gaze, but all he could see was the decrepit ruins of the old temple. “I wouldn’t say that. We were never close.”

Twilight huffed, bending down to lift a log onto his shoulders. “They must be pretty important for you to stay up here for so long.”

The man was silent, staring at the ruins with a deep sadness. Twilight decided to let the man be, throwing the log onto the crude cabin base. He grabbed the long rope attached to the logs below the newest one, wrapping it tightly around the new addition before tying it as best he could.

After a few weeks of wandering around the large plateau with Rhoam, the two of them decided to start building a small cabin. That way when a storm hit, they wouldn’t have to run to the nearest cave for shelter.

It was also nice to have some place to call home, no matter how temporary it may be.

Twilight didn’t know exactly why he was here, or even where ‘here’ was. He avoided asking Rhoam too many questions, not sure how the older man would respond to his situation. He figured he would be understanding, Rhoam was a kind man with a kind heart. But he didn’t want to push his luck.

Afterall, he would have nowhere to go if he needed to leave. He certainly wasn’t going to throw himself off the cliff.

“Yes, you could say that.”

Twilight frowned, turning his attention back to Rhoam. The man had picked up his axe, slowly walking towards the trees surrounding the front of the cabin. “What?”

Rhoam looked over his shoulder. “You said that they must be important for me to wait so long for them. And my answer is yes.

“Very important indeed.”

It had taken them another month for the cabin to be completed. It wasn’t anything special, far from it, but Twilight was proud of it. The stone base was chipped, the chunks of brick and stone taken from the decrepit ruins in the center of the plateau. 

There were two small beds pressed against separate walls that Rhoam had assembled in less than a day, much to Twilight’s amazement. The table in the center of the cabin took Twilight nearly a week to build, and still he was finding patches to sand down. 

Twilight sighed, shaking his fur cloak out before hanging it on the thin rope that stretched between the trees outside the cabin. Rhoam’s cloak hung next to his, water gently dripping off the hem. 

The two of them had gone hunting earlier in the day, and afterwards they had realized just how desperately they needed a wash. Or at least, their clothes did. They scrubbed everything clean of the dirt and blood caking onto it all. While they hung their clothes to dry, the two of them wore some spares they found lying around. 

Twilight was borrowing Rhoam’s old warm doublet, which fit rather snugly on him. The hem barely reached his navel, and he had to ditch the gloves entirely, seeing as they were much too small. It amazed him that Rhoam once fit in it, considering how the man now towered over Twilight.

“Well, it would seem that night is upon us once again.”

Twilight turned, smiling as Rhoam poked his head out from their cabin. Twilight laughed, “Right on time, like always.”

Rhoam grinned, patting Twilight on the back as he grabbed a torch from where it rested against a log. He stuck it into the small torch by the cabin’s entrance, gently turning to hold it under the small wok they had. “What shall we have for dinner tonight, my friend?” 

“Anything sounds fine to me.” Twilight shrugged. He honestly didn’t care what they had, he was simply glad that he wasn’t the one doing the cooking. 

Wild had taught him some basics, but never enough to actually make anything decent. 

Twilight plopped down onto the ground next to Rhoam, tossing in a few sticks as the fire under the wok struggled to stay alive. Rhoam smiled, snuffing the torch into the dirt before propping it against the side of the cabin. He grabbed a bag of their food, setting it next to Twilight before lowering himself to the ground. 

Some pheasant and water was tossed into the pot, gently sizzling as the two stared at it, waiting for it to be done. 

“You know,” Twilight leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. “One of my good friends is a fantastic cook, I think you’d really like him.” 

“Oh?” Rhoam flipped the meat over in the wok, throwing in a few mushrooms and herbs as he did so. “A better cook than me?” 

Twilight raised his hand in a so-so motion, earning a hearty laugh from Rhoam. “He certainly likes to get more creative with his dishes than you do.” 

“Well, hopefully I’ll get to meet him someday.” 

Twilight sighed, staring up at the unfamiliar sky. “Yeah, I hope you do too.” 

* * *

Twilight grinned, easily avoiding the small bokoblin camp as he made his way deeper into the forest. He watched as one of the creatures smacked another in the face for snoring too loudly, earning an annoyed groan from the bokoblin under its hand. The monsters fascinated Twilight in all honesty, their mannerisms much more akin to that of a wild animal’s and not that of a monster’s. They formed small packs, working together to survive against the harsh world around them. They weren’t necessarily out to destroy like other monsters, they just wanted to live. 

Unless someone accidentally wandered too close to one of their camps, then they got a bit savage. But what cornered animal didn’t?

Twilight sighed, glad to be alone in the depths of the forest. It had been a while since he and Rhoam had a need to enter the Forest of Spirits, seeing as everything they needed was right by their cabin. But thanks to their recent deforestation around the cabin, they had decided to start making trips to the forests across the plateau to get their firewood. 

Sure, it wasn’t very practical, but it was much better than taking away all the trees around their cabin. 

Twilight stopped a ways into the forest, feeling the snap of the twigs under his feet and breeze on his face. He pulled the axe off his back, shifting his stance to grip the tool in both hands as he stared down the small tree in front of him. He exhaled, swinging the axe back before steadying his arm. 

With a sharp inhale, he swung the axe into the tree, embedding the weapon a few inches into the trunk. The birds quickly scattered, rustling the leaves behind Twilight like crazy. He ripped the axe from the tree, quickly swinging at it once more, sending the tree crashing into the forest floor. 

The splintered stump of the tree was all that remained standing in the dirt, the bright green leaves sprawled across the round. Twilight hummed, making quick work of stripping the felled tree of its branches. The bushes behind him rustled again, but he ignored it as a lizard darted out from behind and between his legs. 

He raised the axe above his head, ready to chop the log into smaller sections. 

When the bush behind him shook once more. 

Twilight sighed, lowering the axe and shooting a glance over his shoulder. There was nothing there but the empty forest surrounding him. He waited a moment, staring at the now still bush. The leaves shook in the breeze, but made no other movement. 

He shook his head, slowing his breathing as he re-assumed his earlier position. It probably wasn’t anything. Bokoblins were too noisy to sneak up behind him, and no one else lived up here.

He brought the axe above his head once more, bracing his arms against the weight. He closed his eyes, exhaling sharply as he swung the axe down, striking it into the log. 

The bush yelped. 

Twilight jumped, ripping the axe quickly from the log and spinning around. The bush shook, and Twilight tightened his grip on his makeshift weapon. It didn’t sound like a bokoblin, bokoblins didn’t yelp. He frowned, perhaps it was a fox? He’d seen one or two hiding in the bushes a few weeks back, so it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility.

But if it was a fox, why wasn’t it running?

Twilight awkwardly cleared his throat as a branch snapped inside the bush. “Hello?”

The bush shook, and Twilight felt his heart drop as two eyes peered through the leaves. Two pale hands clutched the branches in front of their face, pulling them apart to peer at Twilight. 

Oh great goddesses above, there was someone else up there with them. 

Twilight quickly dropped the axe, bending down to sit eye level with the bush and the person it contained. The two eyes were wide and utterly terrified, darting around frantically before settling on Twilight’s face. Twilight threw his hands up in a calming manor, but the figure just shrunk further into hiding.

“There’s no need to be scared, I’m not going to hurt you.”

The bush person snorted, and Twilight held back a laugh. It was a good impression of a boar, he’d give them that. Was he supposed to be scared of that? Were they looking to intimidate Twilight into leaving them alone? 

Twilight forced his most calming smile, slowly reaching a hand towards the bush person. “You can come on out, you’re okay.”

The person’s fingers gently brushed against his own, recoiling at the contact. They stared at his hand, inching closer to him. Twilight could just see the faint outline of their nose before his attention was drawn back to his outreached hand. The bush person had reached out and grabbed his hand in both of theirs, spreading his fingers apart and bending them one by one.

They poked his palm, staring at it for a few seconds before letting go with one hand. They turned their hand toward themself, pulling it close to their face as they glanced back and forth between their hand and Twilight’s.

...What in Faron’s name?

Twilight was at a loss, unsure of just what was happening. He pulled his hands away, but the bush person’s hands jumped out to grab onto him once again. 

Their grip was weak and shaky, and Twilight should’ve been able to tear himself from it with ease. But he was frozen, staring at the deep scars that trailed their way up the person’s arms. Their sleeves were tattered, only coming to just above their elbow. He glanced up to their face, wide eyes staring at his own with a terrified blue gaze. Scars covered the entire left side of their face, stopping at the bridge of their nose before snaking down their neck.

Twilight’s stomach dropped, twisting into a knot and making him sick. The blood drained from his face, and his mind went completely blank. The person halfway outside of the bush frowned, cocking their head to the side as Twilight grabbed onto their tangled hands with his other one. He swallowed, feeling his thoughts mindlessly echo in his head. 

“Wild?” 

* * *

“No more, okay?” Twilight gently pulled Wild’s hands from his face, earning a raspy whine from the curious kid. 

After a bit of coaxing, Twilight had been able to convince Wild to leave the safety of his bush. It had given Twilight a good chance to really look at Wild, and what he saw devastated him even more.

His hair was a mess, nearly six inches past his shoulders and absolutely caked with mud and leaves. If Twilight hadn’t known Wild before, he wouldn’t have believed that his hair was actually dirty blonde, and not dark brown. His shirt was small and tattered, covered in holes and cuts in the fabric. The pants were the same way, only coming to his calves before cutting off with a frayed seam. Both articles of clothing were completely covered in dirt and grime.

They were also both backwards, and his worn boots were on the wrong feet

Twilight quickly noticed that Wild was unable to sit still, constantly fidgeting or frantically looking around his surroundings. Twilight had tried to get him to sit down long enough so he could look him over for injuries after noticing the deep red staining the back of his shirt. Wild didn’t seem to understand anything he was saying, staring at him with a vacant expression or growling at him when Twilight tried to touch him.

Although, Wild had no problem touching Twilight.

His hands were constantly reaching for Twilight’s own. Lacing their fingers together, pressing their palms up against each other so that Twilight could bend the tips of his fingers over Wild’s own, or even just bending Twilight’s fingers and then mimicking the motion on his own hands. He was fascinated by Twilight’s face as well, gently tracing the markings on his forehead before feeling the scars on his own face. He frowned when doing so, as if confused as to why Twilight didn’t have the same markings as him.

Twilight wasn’t a fan of the poking and prodding, and Wild wasn’t a fan of sitting still.

But they had come to a compromise.

Wild was allowed to touch Twilight’s face as much as he wanted to, as long as he sat still. Wild had seemed pleased by their silent arrangement, happily brushing his hands through Twilight’s hair and tugging gently on his ears. Twilight had taken the opportunity to pull Wild’s shirt up, craning his head as far as he could to get a glimpse at Wild’s back.

The small scrape was nothing to worry about, Twilight could disinfect it and patch it up in no time once was able to drag Wild from the forest. He sighed, thankful that Wild wasn’t too badly injured, when he let his eyes wander. He bit his lip as he took in the rest of Wild’s frail form up close. 

Oh goddess, there were so many scars. 

It made Twilight sick, his eyes tracing the deep pink tissue across Wild’s side and back in horror. Was it multiple injuries, all in the same place? Or was Twilight looking at one big injury. And if it was one big injury, what could’ve done something like that? These scars were unnatural, sick and twisted and wrong.

They were the scars of a corpse.

So just how was Wild sitting right in front of Twilight at that very moment? How could someone with scars that ripped right across his heart be contently poking Twilight’s cheek?

Twilight sighed, running a hand through his hair as Wild’s eyes chased a beetle skittering on the ground. “I don’t know what to do.” He admitted mostly to himself, staring at the night sky above him.

A grunt drew his attention back to Wild. Twilight’s eyes widened in horror as Wild shoved a very much alive beetle into his mouth. Twilight jumped forward, grabbing the half-bitten bug from Wild’s mouth and tossing it into the forest. Wild recoiled, face scrunching up in disgust as he stuck out his tongue. He raised his hands to his face, covering his mouth as if to stop the bad taste. 

Twilight stared at him in shock, before he started to laugh. He leaned forward, closing his eyes as he began to laugh even harder. Tears built up in the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill the more he laughed. 

He was so lost. Twilight had no idea what he was supposed to do, and now with Wild… 

He wished the others were with him. 

After taking a moment to calm himself down, Twilight wiped the tears from his eyes. He forced himself to smile, turning to face Wild, but that smile quickly faded when he saw Wild with his back pressed against the nearest tree. His eyes were wide and fearful, staring at Twilight as if Wild expected him to lunge and kill him at any moment. 

Twilight slowly stood, reaching his hands out cautiously towards Wild. The kid shrunk back even further, bending his knees as if getting ready to bolt. Twilight could catch him no problem if he decided to run, but Twilight really didn’t want to risk Wild getting hurt at all. 

He took a cautious step forward. “You’re okay, trust me.” 

Wild didn’t understand, but he visibly relaxed at Twilight’s soft tone. Twilight smiled, taking another step forward, motioning for Wild to come closer with his hand. 

Wild hesitated, before closing the distance between the two of them. He grabbed onto Twilight’s outstretched hands, face lighting up as Twilight made no move to pull his hands away. He spread Twilight’s fingers apart, bending them back as far as they would go before closing them into a fist. 

Twilight smiled, watching the fascinated kid study his hands. “I’m sorry that I scared you.” 

Wild looked up to him in confusion, before scrunching his face in concentration. 

“What are you doing?” Twilight chuckled, utterly confused by the strange expression on Wild’s face. 

Wild cracked open his eyes, and his face slowly formed a wobbly intimidation of Twilight’s smile. Twilight’s heart soared at the false smile, watching as Wild struggled to keep his face smiling. 

He hadn’t quite mastered the art of the fake smile, but he would get there eventually. 

Twilight beamed, ruffling Wild’s hair. “That’s the spirit, good job.” 

Wild growled, reaching a hand to his even messier hair before pausing. His face scrunched up again, and Twilight frowned. What was he trying to do n—

Wild sneezed, squinting his eyes shut as his head nearly rammed into Twilight’s chest. He shook his head, frowning in confusion as he looked to Twilight, silently asking him what the heck just happened. Twilight held back a snort, pulling his hand from Wild’s grasp to properly hold Wild’s hand. Wild shivered, goosebumps dotting his skin. 

“Let’s get you someplace warm, okay?”

Twilight gently squeezed Wild’s hand, keeping eye contact with him as he slowly led him forward. It took Wild a few seconds before he realized what Twilight was doing, and to Twilight’s surprise, Wild followed closely beside him. 

They had only made it about ten feet before Wild was pulling against Twilight’s hold, staring intently at a butterfly just out of his reach. 

Twilight groaned, “No, no butterflies right now. We can chase them later.” 

Wild continued to tug against his hand, and Twilight finally caved in. He turned, grabbing onto Wild’s torso and easily throwing the kid over his shoulder like a bale of hay. Wild whined in the back of his throat, squirming around and kicking his feet. Twilight sighed, staring straight ahead as he began to casually make his way back to the cabin. 

“I’ll put you down in a minute, don’t worry.”

He knew Wild didn’t understand, but then again, he didn’t understand anything. Wild didn’t know where he was, or who Twilight was. He didn’t know what a butterfly was and he had no clue how to properly put on pants. Twilight knew this for an absolute fact.

Because Wild looked at him with the same blank stare that Ilia had all those years ago.

Wild didn’t remember anything, not even his own name.

* * *

Wild whined, burying his face further into Twilight’s chest. Twilight sighed, pulling his fur cloak tighter around Wild’s curled up frame, draping the hood down to cover everything but Wild’s nose. Wild shivered, curling up closer to Twilight. 

He had tried to light a fire earlier, but Wild had nearly booked it to the other side of the plateau when he saw Twilight holding a flaming torch. So they had no fire, just a fur coat and each other to stay warm. 

It hadn’t surprised Twilight when Wild practically collapsed into him the moment they arrived at the cabin, but Twilight wished he had been given some warning before he had been pinning down under Wild’s sleeping form. His legs were curled under him, slowly becoming numb as his back grew sorer by the minute. But Twilight couldn’t risk shifting his position, Wild was far too light of a sleeper for that.

“Well, I see you’ve found something rather interesting out in the woods.”

Twilight craned his head around to see Rhoam slowly walking toward their cabin, fishing pole slung over his shoulder. A wet bag smacked against his hip as he walked, and he tossed it to the ground without much care. It slapped against the dirt, a pool of water forming underneath it. Wild stirred at the noise, yet stayed asleep much to Twilight’s relief. Rhoam calmly set his stuff inside the cabin, taking his sweet time changing his boots and grabbing his cooking equipment before joining Twilight at the wok.

Rhoam lit the fire and the heat gently reached out to touch Twilight’s cold face, he could feel Wild relax further against him. Rhoam chuckled, staring at the two across the small fire. “Do you think he’d enjoy some nice food when he wakes up?”

“You’re awfully calm about all this.” Twilight frowned, not liking the constant smile of Rhoam’s face. “You said it yourself, no one else should be up here. We’re five hundred feet up, it should be impossible for someone to climb that distance.”

“And yet here you are,” Rhoam hummed. He reached into the soggy bag, pulling out three nice sized fish and setting them aside.

Twilight shook his head. “My being here was not of my own choice.”

Rhoam simply nodded, pouring some of their remaining oil into the wok.

Twilight groaned, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to clear his head. The amnesiac stirred, squirming around for a moment before flopping over in sleep once more. Rhoam looked over to Wild with a sadness in his eyes, before it was quickly wiped and replaced with his forced smile.

“You’re here for the same reasons as me, Hero of Twilight.” 

Twilight froze, the blood draining from his face. “...What?” 

Rhoam chuckled, poking at the fire as it slowly grew into life. “Link needs someone to guide him on his journey, and you and me have very different roles to play in that regard.” 

Rhoam flipped the bag open, pulling three fish out before tossing them into the wok. “He did talk about you and the other heroes, in case you were wondering. My daughter was the one he told all of his secrets, and she never was very good at keeping a secret. Especially from me.”

He laughed, “Of course, I never believed her until now.” 

Twilight’s mind was blank, and Wild seemed more fragile than ever. He gently wrapped an arm around Wild’s shoulders, pulling him closer. “You’ve been waiting for Wild this whole time.” 

Rhoam hummed, “Is that what you call him, ‘Wild?’ Certainly an interesting nickname to go by.” 

Twilight tightened his grip around Wild. “You knew who I was this entire time. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Rhoam was silent, gently dusting the fish in salt before turning them over. Twilight felt a pit grow in his stomach, and he was almost certain he wouldn’t like Rhoam’s response.

“I did not want you to be mad at me.”

Twilight huffed, causing Wild to stir. “And what reason would I have to be mad at you?”

“I have lied to you,” Rhoam sighed, looking up from the wok with pure sorrow in his expression. 

“No shit.”

Rhoam nodded, throwing a crushed pepper into the wok. He undid his cloak, tossing it over to Twilight so that it landed on his head. The hero huffed, pulling it off himself and draping it across Wild. Rhoam looked at Wild with a sigh, folding his hands in his lap.

“I don’t know where to begin with the truth.”

“The beginning,” Twilight growled, glaring at the man who held too many secrets. 

Rhoam sighed, running a hand through his beard. “My name is Rhoam Bosphoramus, and I was the last king of Hyrule. I met my demise one hundred years ago during the rise of Calamity Ganon, alongside nearly all of Hyrule. My daughter Zelda used her powers to seal the Calamity within the castle, where she still resides to this day.” 

“And how does Wild factor into this?” 

Rhoam winced. “Might I ask that you refrain from calling him as such?” Rhoam gently flipped the fish over, the uncooked side hissing loudly as it made contact with hot oil. “His memory is fragile, and I do not want to risk something like a nickname jogging his memory before he is ready. We mustn’t overwhelm him more than what is necessary.” 

Twilight grit his teeth, shifting his weight in an attempt to block Wild from Rhoam’s view. The log to the back stopped him from simply turning Wild to sleep behind his back. “I never told you that his memory was gone.” 

“We all knew the dangers of putting him in the shrine, myself included. I’d be much more surprised if he had awoken with any memories at all.”

Twilight’s heart clenched, his muscles tensing as he tried to stifle his growing anger. “What do you mean by shrine?”

Rhoam sighed, “The Shrine of Resurrection, a machine capable of bringing the dead back to life.”

No.

“What— What do you mean by that?” Twilight felt the dread build in his stomach, and he cradled Wild even tighter.

Rhoam looked at Twilight sadly, pulling the fish from the wok and setting them onto a simple wooden plate. “Link died protecting my daughter during the Calamity. He was her appointed knight, but he had only been by her side for less than a year when the Calamity struck.” 

Rhoam shook his head. “They were far too young, Link even younger than my precious Zelda.” 

The Calamity was one hundred years ago. 

Twilight looked down to Wild’s sleeping form, wrapped under two thick cloaks. His red nose was the only part of him visible, his breaths clouding around his nose. 

Wild had been dead for one hundred years. 

Twilight glared at Rhoam, wrapping both of his arms around Wild. The older man visible deflated, regret and sorrow tangible in the air between them. 

“I knew Link would be disoriented upon waking up, he would need a guide to find his footing once again. So here I’ve remained in spirit form, awaiting the day he would once again awaken. And once I’ve finally guided him to his destination I can finally rest.” 

Twilight clenched his fist in the cloak wrapped around Wild, his knuckles turning white. “Destination?”

“He’s the only one capable of defeating the Calamity. Once he wakes up I’ll start him on his jour—”

“No!” Twilight growled, clutching Wild tighter. 

Wild jumped awake, clinging onto the thick cloaks wrapped around him. He squirmed, unable to move under Twilight’s hold, until he froze, staring at Rhoam from across the fire. Twilight patted Wild’s arm, letting him know it was alright. 

“He knows nothing right now! He’ll be killed the second you send him into a fight.”

“Zelda can’t hold back the Calamity forever,” Rhoam stated calmly, gently waving to the staring Wild before Twilight pulled his head against his chest, breaking Wild's fascinated eye contact. “He has much to do, and very little time to do so.”

Twilight huffed, “He doesn’t even understand what we’re saying! How can you expect someone with the memory less than that of a toddler’s to save the world?”

Wild twisted his head enough to peek at Rhoam with one eye. Twilight’s hood draped down his face, nearly covering Wild’s entire face while Rhoam’s cloak limply rested on his shoulders.

“The Plateau is an isolated environment for him to learn,” Rhoam sighed. “I can only do so much to prepare him for the harsh world outside of the plateau.”

“I can prepare him.” 

Rhoam sadly chuckled. “That is not your purpose, Hero of Twilight. Your purpose is to provide him company once I cannot.” 

Twilight huffed. “You can prepare him for the journey ahead of him, I can teach him how to be an actual person again.” 

“We have limited time—” 

“Leave.” 

Rhoam’s eyes widened, staring at Twilight with a startled expression. “What?” 

Twilight grit his teeth. “Leave. Now. I’ll prepare him for your stupid quests.” 

“I—” 

“The more you argue the more time you waste.” 

Rhoam opened his mouth, as if preparing to say something, before he sighed. He smiled, pushing himself off the ground. “Come find me when he is ready.” 

Without another word Rhoam turned, he shot one last glance at the two heroes curled around the fire before he slowly walked away, faint green wisps disappearing into the night sky once he was out of Wild’s sight.

Twilight sighed, patting Wild’s head and staring at the night sky.

“Alright, Link. Let’s get you ready to save the world.”

* * *

_“Wolf?”_

_“Yes?”_

_“Where are we?”_

Twilight grinned, _“Secret.”_

Wild huffed, crossing his arms as Twilight laughed. He threw his arm around Wild’s shoulders, sending the shorter hero stumbling against his side.

Their feet sunk into the snow, weighing down their movements considerably. Wild’s nose and ears were tipped red, and he shivered slightly in the warm doublet. Twilight was unburdened by the cold, his hood pulled up to block his ears from the freezing winds. 

He had tried to make Wild wear Rhoam’s cloak, but he had insisted that it, ‘smelled bad.’ Which was rich coming from the kid who refused to bathe. 

Wild sighed, tightening the old baldric around his chest. The rusted sword on his back jostled around with each step, the edges so chipped and worn that Twilight would be amazed if it actually managed to cut anything. It was near the point of breaking, and Twilight was surprised that it didn’t just shatter in the cold air. 

_"Why cold?”_

Twilight shrugged. “Because of the snow,” he stated out loud, and he could see the gears turning in Wild’s head as he picked the simple sentence apart.

_“Last word.”_

“Snow?”

Wild nodded, and Twilight grinned. That was his reason for bringing Wild up to the mountains in the first place.

Twilight hummed, “Well, it’s like rain. It falls from the sky and sticks on the ground. But it’s cold and soft, not wet.”

Wild paused, frowning as he ran the words through his head. His eyes lit up, and he looked to Twilight with a grin. _“Soft like you?”_

 _“I’m not soft,”_ Twilight signed, trying to hide his smile. 

Wild giggled, pressing a hand into Twilight’s cloak. _“Soft,”_ He sneakily finger-spelled with the hand at his side, but Twilight absolutely saw it. 

Why that little—

Twilight held back a grin as he shoved Wild into a nearby snowbank. Wild yelped, flailing his arms as he plunged into the white abyss. Twilight laughed as Wild attempted to sit up, his cheeks bright red. 

Twilight bent down, brushing the snow off the top of Wild’s head. “That is snow.” 

Wild huffed and Twilight turned away from the snow-covered hero. He looked up at the sky, smiling at the grey clouds starting to swarm above their heads. If they were lucky, it would snow any minute now. Wild would finally get to experience the wonders of freshly fallen—

A cold weight slammed against Twilight’s head, and he stumbled back. He raised a hand to his head, finding snow covering the side of his hood. Wild stood in his snow-pile with a grin, a handful of snow clenched in his right hand.

It wasn’t a ball, but it served its job.

Twilight laughed, ducking underneath another lobbed hunk of snow and scooping up a handful of his own. He quickly packed it into a ball, chucking it in Wild’s direction. If Wild’s surprised grunt was anything to go by, he’d managed to nail his target.

Wild shook the snow from his hair with a laugh, pulling his feet from the snow bank to stand next to Twilight once again. _“Cold.”_

“Yeah, it is.”

They stood by the freezing lake for a few minutes before the first snow flakes began to fall. Twilight couldn’t help but grin at the kid-like expression on Wild’s face. He held out his hands, catching the flakes on his gloves to stare at them before they melted away. At Twilight’s insistence, Wild stuck out his tongue, catching the snow with flushed cheeks and a beaming expression.

He turned back to Twilight with a huge grin, snowflakes covering his hair and doublet. “S’nw.” 

His voice was choppy and slow, the ‘s’ and ‘n’ of snow slurring together to omit the ‘o’ entirely. 

Twilight snorted, warmth filling his chest at Wild’s first word. “I knew you’d like it, cub.” 

* * *

It had taken Twilight nearly six months to finally allow Wild to meet Rhoam. They’d seen him in passing many times, but Twilight had always pulled Wild away before he got a chance to say anything. But once Wild was able to do basic human functions, Twilight had no more excuses for keeping him safe.

Rhoam had been mortified to learn that Wild had lost the Sheikah Slate, but a quick search for it found that it was simply left behind in the bush that Twilight had originally found Wild in. It was still fully functional, and Wild seemed to click with it immediately. He was navigating menus and screens faster than Twilight could understand. And despite nothing being written in traditional Hylian script, Wild seemed to know exactly what everything read.

After reconnecting with the slate, Wild had been pointed towards a dormant tower near the edge of the plateau. Twilight could officially say that he was not a fan of the technology in Wild’s Hyrule. The tower had erupted under their feet, leaving them nearly one hundred feet above the ground.

When Twilight had gone to find a way down with Wild, he found the kid frozen in place, staring off in the distance. Twilight frowned, standing next to Wild to try to figure out what he was staring at.

And then the castle had roared.

That’s where Wild needed to go. That’s what Wild needed to fight. When all Twilight wanted to do was lock him back in the cabin.

Once Twilight had been able to drag Wild from the top of the tower and back onto stable ground, Rhoam had kindly decided to drop in on them from out of nowhere. And once again, he was pointing Wild to a new goal, and Wild listened without hesitation. He had a new fire in his eyes, a determination that Twilight had no idea where it came from.

No matter how hard Twilight tried, he couldn’t follow Wild into the damned shrine. He had been forced to sit and watch as Wild was slowly lowered into the unknown, shooting Twilight a quick thumbs-up before disappearing. Twilight had been staring at the shrine entrance for nearly six hours before Wild emerged once again. And despite the new scrapes and cuts on his arms and the apparent fatigue, Rhoam had pushed Wild to search for more shrines.

Wild had insisted on locating the other three on the plateau, and Rhoam had taught him how to use the teleport function on the slate to make the job easier. Twilight hated being teleported, at least with the slate. With Midna it had been almost comforting, a distinct feeling of weightlessness and _her_. This felt like he was being ripped apart and shoved back together in the span of a second.

Twilight was so disoriented after teleporting that he almost didn’t catch Wild as he had collapsed. Sweat had beaded his brow, and Wild struggled to keep his eyes open. While the cold floor of the Sheikah Tower certainly wasn’t comfortable, that was were they found themselves sleeping.

To keep warm, Twilight had shifted into a wolf hours ago. Yet despite his restlessness and lack of a blanket, Wild refused to lay next to Twilight. He was scared of keeping Twilight awake, or something along those lines. His voice was too soft for Twilight to hear when he tried explaining it, and his signs were too shaky.

Yet Twilight cracked open an eye as Wild huffed, tossing over in his sleep for the umpteenth time in the last two hours.

Twilight stood on all fours, stretching his back with a yawn. Wild’s ear twitched as Twilight padded over to where he laid, but made no move to look at Twilight.

“’M fine.”

Twilight huffed, pressing his nose against Wild’s neck. The kid jerked forward, grabbing onto the back of his neck and turning to glare at the wolf. Twilight snorted, plopping down against Wild’s back. Wild growled, trying to wiggle himself away from the wolf pressed against his back. But his movements were stopped when Twilight stood, and readjusted himself to lay directly on top of Wild.

Wild squirmed, pushing against Twilight’s side. “Ge’off.”

A snort was all Wild got in response as Twilight flopped his head over, closing his eyes and snoring deeply.

Wild huffed in disbelief. “Really?”

One of Twilight’s eyes cracked open, and the tail thumping against the tower’s floor betrayed the smug grin on Twilight’s muzzle.

Wild rolled his eyes, attempting to push himself up from under Twilight’s weight. “Fer the love of—”

Wild was silenced as a paw smacked into his face.

* * *

Twilight tried not to let his worry overwhelm him, but it was hard not to. He had been separated from Wild for nearly three days, stuck inside the walls of Zora’s Domain waiting for his return. He groaned, kicking his feet in the shallow pond as he stared off towards Vah Ruta.

“Well, left you behind, did he?”

Twilight scoffed, not even bothering to turn around. “Hello to you as well, Muzu.”

The old zora huffed, slowly lowering himself down to sit next to Twilight. That earned a confused frown from the hero, and he met Muzu’s gaze. Muzu simply shook his head, choosing to not answer Twilight’s silent question and instead stare at the waterfalls surrounding most of the domain. 

Twilight bit his lip, trying hard not to imagine the sorts of things Wild was facing in the Divine Beast. He had seen it up close, forced to watch from the dock as Wild and Sidon disabled the mechanisms causing Ruta to endlessly fill the reservoir. It was massive, and Wild looked like an ant compared to it.

He prayed that Wild wasn’t doing something stupid in there. 

“He’ll be fine, he always is,” Muzu murmured, just loud enough for Twilight to hear.

Twilight snorted, “Didn’t know you actually believed in him.”

Muzu scowled at Twilight, before quickly deflating. “I’ve known him since he was a guppy, he and his family...” He trailed off, staring down at the pool below them. “They always visited, and he and Lady Mipha just hit it off.” He chuckled, scooting forward to submerge himself in the water. “A little rascal, that one; horrible influence on the princess.”

“And so you decided to hate him.”

“I don’t hate him,” Muzu corrected, turning to Twilight with a scowl. “I have held a false grudge against him for the last century, and I realize now that it was wrongly placed upon his shoulders.”

Twilight hummed, kicking his feet. Small ripples danced across the surface of the pool, and the two of them watched them fade away slowly. “May I ask what made you so bitter?”

Muzu sighed, “The Calamity took our Mipha away, and I blamed Link for her death. I believed he should’ve been there for her, protecting his beloved in her time of need.” Muzu leaned his head back, resting it on the cool surface of the domain. “But I realize now, it wasn’t his fault, nor the Calamity’s.

“It was all of Hyrule’s, for believing we could send kids to fight our wars.”

Twilight was silent, turning Muzu’s words over in his head. Hyrule and the goddesses did have a penchant for enlisting younger heroes. Wild had been fifteen when the Calamity had struck, even younger than Twilight had been yet still nowhere close to being the youngest hero. 

The only one of them who was an adult when they started their adventure was Warriors, and nineteen just barely made the cutoff. 

“Tell me, Hero of Twilight, just how old were you when Hyrule made you fight?”

Twilight froze, staring at the wrinkled zora in shock. Muzu laughed, a scratchy and worn laugh. “Oh? Surprised that I know?”

“How—”

“Link and Mipha were very close, and when he went missing for a week...” Muzu smiled, his gaze unfocused as if reminiscing. “Mipha was worried sick, of course. Worked herself into a fit trying to make sure he would be safe without her. So when he returned, why she was the first to hear about all his wondrous journeys with the heroes of legend.”

Muzu laughed, “Which meant that I, being the princess’s tutor and caretaker, got to hear every last story about all of you.”

Twilight sighed, bringing his head down to cup it in his hands. “Did he tell anyone else? Did he shout about his adventures from the rooftops so that everyone could hear?”

“No, most never believed him anyway. I certainly didn’t until I met you.” 

“. . . How hard is it for you, seeing him like this?”

Muzu frowned at Twilight’s question, wringing his hands together. “It’s certainly difficult, but he’s much the same wild and rambunctious guppy as I knew. I don’t know what side of Link you and the other heroes got to know. But I can assure you that the Link right now is the Link that I know well.

"He’s the one who climbed to the top of the Domain just to see how big of a splash he could make, who tried to tame a lynel, and who was seen trying to befriend a lizalfos. That’s the guppy I’ve always known.

“He’s always been a bit on the wild side, he just got good at hiding it behind plates of armor. But now that armor’s gone, and he can be himself.”

* * *

“Hey, let’s stop for the day.”

Wild made no indication that he had heard Twilight, continuing to trek forward through the soggy wetlands. Twilight sighed, quickening his pace to tap Wild on the shoulder. Wild glanced at him, before shaking his head and turning back to the road ahead of them.

“Cub, it’s late. I know you’re tired.”

“I’m fine.”

Twilight huffed. “You’re not. You just finished freeing Ruta earlier today, and I’m almost certain you didn’t sleep while you were on-board.”

Wild shrugged, speeding up his step. Goddesses, Twilight was close to throwing him over his shoulder and carrying him to a bed.

The ground under their feet squished with each step, waterlogged beyond anything Twilight had seen before. Thanks to the constant downpour from Ruta, most of Zora’s Domain and the surrounding area was like that, soggy and cold. Twilight wasn’t a huge fan, but Wild didn’t seem to mind all that much.

Well, Twilight actually couldn’t tell how Wild felt about it, seeing as he had been absolutely silent ever since Ruta had been freed.

Twilight knew that something was on Wild’s mind, and he needed to get him to talk about it. The silence was eating away at Twilight, and he knew how harmful thoughts could be when you internalized them. So he huffed, marching forward to grab onto Wild’s arm.

He turned around, pulling Wild behind him before plopping him down onto a drier patch of grass. Wild scowled at him, attempting to stand back up before Twilight pushed his shoulders down again. “We’re setting up camp, I’m tired.”

“No you’re not.”

“You’re right, I’m extremely tired.” Twilight sighed, shaking his head slightly. “You should get dinner started.”

Wild stared at him blankly, before deflating. He nodded, and began to tap away on his slate.

Soon a small fire had been started in front of them, with two fish speared on a stick roasting above it. Wild stared into the fire numbly, turning the fish periodically as Twilight rolled out their bedrolls.

Twilight glanced over his shoulder to Wild, grimacing at the poor state of the kid. His hair was a mess, the ends frayed from the last time they had trimmed it, and frizzed out from the saltwater. He had bandages wrapped around his arms and neck, with more hidden under his shirt. A new burn scar decorated his jawline, a much smaller version of the scars covering half of his body.

There had been mini guardians in there, and that thought alone made Twilight’s stomach curl.

“What happened in there?” Twilight finally got the question off his chest. He breathed in relief, sitting himself next to Wild as he pulled the fish skewers from the ground, holding one out for Twilight.

Wild shrugged. “Lots of malice and some swimming.”

“Then what’s got you so down?”

Wild bit into his fish, turning his head away. Twilight held back a snort, as if stuffing his mouth would stop Twilight from further questioning him. Wild shrugged again, not making eye contact with Twilight.

“Fine,” Twilight sighed, “I’ll catch you up on what I did while you were gone.”

Wild turned back to face him, nodding for him to continue as he crammed more fish into his gob.

“Well, I can say with a fact that Sidon is the group leader of the Link fanclub.”

Wild snorted, covering his mouth with his hand in an attempt to keep the food in his mouth.

Twilight threw his arms in the air. “Honestly! That’s all he wanted to talk about! I finally was able to ditch him after the first day, where I wallowed in loneliness so much that Muzu took pity on me.”

Wild cocked his head, swallowing the rest of his fish down. “Really?”

“Yeah, we talked about you.”

Wild snorted, “So much for escaping the Link fanclub.”

“Ah, what can I say. I’m his number one fan, afterall.” Twilight lightly hit Wild on the shoulder, and the scarred hero shook with silent laughter.

They settled into their bedrolls shortly after, and Twilight began to silently plot out their next destination in his head. He didn’t have a map to visualize exactly what paths they would need to take, but Wild had strongly urged that they head over to Death Mountain next. One of the remaining Divine Beasts waited on the top of the volcano, marking the next big step in Wild’s journey to freeing them all.

Twilight hated volcanoes. They were too hot and stuffy, and he’d have to change into his scratchy fire-proof tunic again. He wasn’t sure what plan Wild had for making it up the volcano, but he wouldn’t be at all surprised if Wild didn’t have a plan.

He was most likely going to give Twilight a heart-attack running up the side of an active volcano while on fire.

“Hey, Wolf?’

Ah, speak of the gremlin.

Twilight twisted over onto his side to look at Wild where he rested. “Yeah, cub?”

“Have you ever lost anyone close to you?”

...Oh.

“That’s a bit of a loaded question there, what brought this up all of a sudden?”

Wild hummed, propping himself up on his elbows to look at Twilight. “Just thinking.”

Twilight ran a hand through his hair, untangling some stray knots that had accumulated since leaving the domain. He wasn’t sure how he should answer something like that. Of course he’d lost people dear to him, but in what context was Wild looking for? He lost Ilia and Wild to amnesia, his parents to a village raid, Zelda to her duties. What should he—

And it clicked.

“Yeah, I’ve lost someone dear to my heart before.”

“...What was their name?”

Twilight smiled, just thinking of her made him giddy and devastated all at once. “Midna.”

Wild pushed himself fully upright, sitting cross-legged on his bedroll. “What were they like?”

“Well, she was a real pain in the ass. Teased me and called me names non-stop.” Twilight laughed. “She was rough around the edges, she had such a short-temperament.”

Wild frowned. “She doesn’t seem very nice.”

Twilight snorted. “She wasn’t, at first. But overtime she warmed up, and let some of her more kind personality shine through.”

“...Do you miss her?”

“Everyday.”

Wild was silent, staring down at his hands in his lap. Twilight pushed himself off the ground, scooting towards Wild before plopping down beside him.

“Who are you thinking about?”

Wild sighed, leaning back to stare at the red laser above their heads. “Mipha.”

Twilight kept his mouth shut, waiting for Wild to elaborate. After a minute of silence, Wild took a shaky breath.

“I lost her twice.”

Twilight frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“Once when I forgot she ever even existed. And twice, when I remembered who she was before finding out she was dead.”

Oh goddesses, Twilight bit his lip as Wild’s eyes grew glossy.

Twilight wrapped an arm around Wild’s shoulders, pulling him close. “Do you miss her?”

“...She loved me, and I can’t even remember if I loved her back. How can I miss someone I barely remember?”

* * *

Twilight deeply inhales, basking the the sweet scent of baking bread. He turned, resting his head on the table as he looked at Wild. “Think it’s done yet?”

Wild turned to him with a scowl, his intimidating expression only hindered by the bright pink apron and flour dusting his cheeks.

Although, he was much more intimidating when he brandished a spoon, he had proven to be quite deadly with one in hand.

Twilight held up his hands in defeat, and Wild triumphantly hummed, twirling the spoon in his hand theatrically before placing it back onto the counter. He bounced up and down a bit, his back to Twilight as he stared at the bread in front of him. He finally turned back to Twilight with a smile and a plate of already sliced bread.

“Yeah, it’s been done for a while now.”

Oh for the love of—

Wild laughed as he placed the bread in front of Twilight, who glared daggers at him. “Why are you like this?”

“You raised me.” Wild shrugged.

Twilight snorted, ripping a small chunk of bread off of his slice. “I fully blame Bolson when it comes to your personality.”

Wild laughed, shaking his head as he untied his apron, hanging it on the small rack by the door. Twilight practically melted in his seat as the bread hit his tongue.

“This is amazing, cub!”

Wild shrugged. “I’d hope so, I’ve been working on that recipe for nearly a month now.”

“Oh, Zelda will love it.”

Wild beamed dusting the flour from his face. “You think so?”

“I know so. And if not, I’ll gladly eat the rest for you.”

Wild chuckled, plopping down in the chair across the table. “I’m sure you would.”

It had been a year since Wild finally defeated the Calamity. Twilight had been unable to follow him into the final step of his journey, forced to watch from the safety of Riverside Stable as Wild fought for his life against a giant malice form of Ganon. It had been terrifying, and Twilight swore his heart stopped multiple times throughout it all.

But the joy on Wild and Zelda’s faces when they met him at the stable made his time aiding Wild on his journey all worth it.

For the past year, Wild and Zelda had been trying to get their lives settled down, using each other as a much needed anchor. They clicked well together, and when they talked it was if one hundred years hadn’t broken their bond apart.

They came to be known around Hateno as the ones who owned a horse named Horse, and an actual wolf that rarely came into town.

Twilight was almost sure Bolson suspected that he and the wolf were one in the same, but he never spoke of it so neither did Twilight. 

And for the past year, Twilight had been debating whether or not to tell Wild about his past.

He figured that Wild deserved to know, he had kept it from Wild for so long that it almost felt wrong not telling him. But on the other hand, Wild’s memories tended to devastate him, he held remorse for all the things he forgot and left buried in his past. Twilight didn’t want to put Wild through that again, not after he had already recovered so many of his old memories.

But then again...

Twilight shook his head, tired of tossing the idea back and forth in his head.

If he was going to do it, now might be the best time for it.

“Hey, Link?”

Wild frowned slightly. “You rarely call me Link, what’s wrong?”

Twilight folded his hands in his lap, hiding his fidgeting under the table. “Well, I wanted to get something off my chest, but I haven’t been sure how to do it until now.”

Wild leaned forward, pushing the flower vase between them to the side. “Alright, what is it?”

“My name isn’t Wolf,” Twilight sighed, running a hand through his hair. Too late to turn back now. “It’s Twilight.”

Wild blinked, staring at Twilight with a blank expression. Twilight closed his eyes, praying that if he was going through a memory, it wouldn’t be anything traumatic. He prayed it wasn’t a flash of himself, curled against Twilight’s chest and bleeding out as the snow tried to suffocate them. 

He jumped as Wild started laughing. “That’s it? You had me worried!” 

Twilight stammered, trying to form cohesive thoughts. “Wh— What do you mean, ‘that’s it?’ I’ve been dishonest with you for over two years!” 

Wild’s slowly faded away, his cheeks pink and a grin plastered his face. “Well, you are a wolf, and that’s much easier to sign than Twilight. I can see why you did it.”

No, Wild had no idea why Twilight never told him his name. Although, from the looks of, it his name alone wasn't jogging any memories, so perhaps those years of hiding behind a nickname weren’t necessary.

Damn Rhoam, making him paranoid for nothing.

Twilight shook his head. “Still, I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”

Wild waved him off. “Don’t beat yourself up about it, it’s really not a big deal.”

Twilight sighed, “Thanks, cub.”

“No problem, wolf.”

Twilight frowned. “But I’m not—”

“Oi, if you get to call me cub, I get to keep calling you wolf.” Wild grinned. “Besides, I think wolf suits you.”

“...Because I can turn into a—”

“Of course it’s because you can turn into a wolf.”

Twilight chuckled, brushing the bangs from his eyes to watch Wild as he began to launch into an animated story.

...Maybe he would tell Wild about the past someday. But that day wasn’t today.

Today, they were going to eat bread, and that was just fine by Twilight. 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in two days and edited in one, making this story a three day project...
> 
> I'm positive I missed some spelling or grammar mistakes, or even continuity errors. So if you notice any, please don't hesitate to let me know <3 
> 
> My Tumblr is tally-ace if you want to stop by for a visit. I'm always open to answering questions or even just chatting <3


End file.
